Sunday, December 27, 2009

A Survey of Cheesy Proportions

Tonight, while sitting in the family room with my parents and roommates, enjoying all sorts of vices I shouldn't be, my dad brought up a debate over which type of macaroni and cheese was the more common among Americans--the epic debate of Kraft Mac n' Cheese versus homemade. My dad's prediction was that 97/100 Americans would first think of Kraft mac n' cheese over the homemade variety due to our mass advertising, the recognizable blue box, and growing up recognizing those shapes in school lunches.

My roommate, who is from the south, ALWAYS thinks of homemade. I don't think I've ever seen a box of Kraft in our apartment, and she's been known to make homemade mac on a regular basis. So, with these conflicting opinions putting too much pressure on my mellow buzz, we decided to take this to the test and do an official survey. Taking to our cell phone, we sent out mass text messages to roughly 30 people hoping that between the differences in our friend groups and the various geographic locations of those surveyed, we could get a decent survey.

The survey was conducted on December 27, 2009 between 9:00-9:30 PM.

Out of the 30 people surveyed, we only heard from 24 people.

4 of the people surveyed were in the room when this happens, a worthy note is that three of those people are in the same family, which means that their opinions may be a bit bias.

People polled were from the following areas: Montana, Florida, California, New York, North Carolina, Canada, Oregon, Washington DC, and Texas.

The results were as follows:

17/24 people identified with Kraft Mac 'n Cheese, thus giving my dad's side a 71%

5/24 responded with a more specific form of homemade, this includes 2 people that responded vaguely and needed to be prompted with the following question: homemade or kraft

Other interesting responses of note included:

"Is this a trick question?"
"It's delicious"
"Awesome"
"Yummy"

And one very special response even included a picture of the Kraft Dinner box with a special note saying, "I survive on that shit."

So there you have it--in the age old debate of whether or not our childhood advertising sticks with us into our adulthood, the answer is clear, a good 71% of people love them some blue box.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Hip To Be Square?

A few years ago, when I was in university, knitting was all the rage. It was featured in every fashion magazine out there, celebrities were spotted bringing their knitting with them, and I, too, desperately wanted to learn to make my own scarves, hats, mittens, and sweaters.

Luckily for me, my university actually had free knitting lessons around the lunch hour every Tuesday. Arming myself with thick, wooden needles, and a chunky skein of wool and embarked on creating my very first knit creation. Upon the completion of that first scarf, I was hooked. I spent all my free time knitting, and before I knew it, I had Christmas presents for all my friends and family members.

Flash forward six years. I have since given up the knitting, but am now home in Montana with those same giant wood needles and a new skein of yarn. But the question is, is knitting still cool? None of my friends now do it, chunky knit scarves have given way to pretty ethnic patterned scarves, and I'm wondering if I'm wasting my time.

Knitting is relaxing, meditative, and it gives me something positive to do with my hands. It allows me to put down my iPhone for a few minutes and knit a row or two.

Knitting is creative-- I get the opportunity to pick out textures, colors, patterns, and put them together in a unique, and one of a kind way.

Knitting is productive--there is something so positive about having a product that you have made with your own hands. Even if it is while I'm sitting in front of the TV watching The Breakfast Club for the millionth time, I like that after a week or two, I have something warm to wear in the New York winters.

So I may be a 23 year old granny, but I think my compelling arguments to the benefits of knitting win. So if you'll excuse me, it's time to put my computer away for the night and knit two, purl one.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Happy Holidays!

To my very few loyal readers-

On this day full of religion and consumerism I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for reading. As I sit here, watching the Boston Celtics, waiting for a seafood feast, I am truly thankful for what was an interesting and crazy year.

I hope everyone has a wonderful end of the year, and I hope that 2010 brings everything we could all possibly want!

See you next year!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Blog Change Roll Call

So I have been "Poser Girl" for about two years now, and I figured out that it really wasn't working for me. So I've decided to go a different route.

The Fake Hipster. Living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, I have often been asked whether or not I'm a hipster. The short answer is yes and no. I am a hipster in the fact that I like an underground music scene, I wear vintage clothes, and I need to be in a creative environment. I don't however live in an amazing, modern apartment, I don't have much of a disposable income, and my parents don't pay my rent.

Alas, The Fake Hipster was born. Part hipster, part real. I'll be covering everything from fashion trends, to the music scene, to movies, and popular culture.

Same old poser girl, brand new face.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Style Inspiration: Near Dark

I know that vampires are all the rage these days, but after taking a Vampires in Literature and Film class in university (oh yeah, that was offered), I feel like I might be a bit more qualified to talk about vampire films then some people out there.

I am a sucker for 80s vampire films. The Hunger, Lost Boys, and last, but very not least, Near Dark. Kathryn Bigelow's western vampire film is ridiculously violent, has a killer soundtrack (scored by Tangerine Dream), and is full of sociopathic crazy southern vampires.

Near Dark also does one thing for me that some of these other films have not. It gives me this ridiculous style inspiration. Call it growing up in the country, or maybe it's my fond nostalgia for the American Southwest, but it makes me want to be a sexy cowboy vamp.

Jenny Wright's tight jeans and tied shirts, Jenette Goldstein's blond hair and dark roots, and most importantly, Bill Paxton's spurs. I feel like I could get away with most of these looks in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, but the spurs are something I'm not so sure of. But man, I would feel like such a badass...



I wish I was cool enough to pull of Jenette Goldstein's wicked dark roots and tough as nails exterior



Bill Paxton and Adrian Pasdar in the memorable bar scene. This scene singlehandedly made me want to own spurs, if you have yet to see it, it's on IFC all month, and easy enough to find on Netflix.

2010 New Year's Resolutions

As 2009 comes to a rapid close, I find myself stressed out about the lack of all I've accomplished in the past year, and the stress of trying to accomplish more in the impending year. Therefore, I think I'll have to set some goals for myself:

10. Start working on my jewelry again- I think my first project will be a Christmas gift for my mom when I get back to Montana. Shhhh, don't tell her.

9. Play the viola- I've been doing this on and off for a decade. Time to get back on?

8. Write more- Finish the screenplays I've been working on, start the ones that have been floating around in my head, and blog more, easy enough.

7. Start running- get my lazy, but wonderful ass back in shape. I used to use running as a form of therapy, somehow that got lost in the mix as I got crazier, coincidence?

6. Drink less- yeah, this may be just a joke.

5. Revel in my alone time- I already do this quite a bit, but I feel like I need to do it some more.

4. Save some money- (see drink less).

3. Maybe get a real job, or another internship, or take some classes- basically, just do something more then wait tables and bartend come the New Year.

2. Finish my grad school applications- my original goal was to have them all in by the first of the year. Yeah, procrastination got the better of me on that one.

1. Be a better friend/lover/daughter- This is always my #1 resolution. I don't think there is anything more important then being a good person to the people that matter most in your life.

So I hope you'll all join me in the New Year and see if any of these goals actually happen. Cheers and Happy Holidays!

Friday, December 11, 2009

Style Icon: Angela Chase

Due to my bed rest last week and current unemployment this week, I have had a lot of time to re-watch old TV shows, mainly My So-Called Life. Now this is not my first watching of MSCL. In fact, I've watched the entire series probably 4 or 5 times, if not more.

Re-watching this show has made me decide one thing...I want to be Angela Chase.



Claire Danes perfectly captured that teen angst that the 90s was known for. I understand feeling that way at 10, then again at 12, 15, 17, and at 23. Only, Angela did it better. That hair, those friends, those emotions, that family, that drama, and more importantly...




That boy. Ahhh, Jordan Catalano, you were the childhood crush I never recovered from. You have been and always will be the perfect bruting male. If I dye my hair can you pretend that you wrote "Red" about me, and not your car?

Let's not forget the clothes. The flower prints, the plaid, the boots, the perfect shapelessness of Angela's dresses.




It makes me think that the 90s coming back won't be such a bad thing. I'm dusting off my Doc Martens in anticipation.

Top 10 Favorite Books of 2009

I am not the New York Times Best-Seller list. I don’t rush out to buy the newest books, and I have never read a Twilight novel in my life. But I love literature and think my opinion is valid, so here is a top ten list of the books I have read in the past year:

10. Geek Love
Catharine Dunn’s novel about a family who’s members are nearly all in a carnival sideshow strikes a chord and common theme among books I like to read…it’s bizarre. It manages to be crazy, emotional, and sad all at the same time. I recommend it for anyone looking for something a little bit different from the New York Times Best Sellers.

9. Famous for 15 Minutes
Ultra Violet was an integral part of the Andy Warhol factory scene in the 60s. This memoir, albeit not well written, is fascinating to anyone interested in Warhol, Dali, and the sex, drugs, and rock and roll scene that was the New York 60s. Now out-of-print, it is relatively easy to find a used copy online.

8. Animal Farm
2009 was my year of catching up on classics. Unfortunately, most of those classics did not make my list, but George Orwell’s metaphorical novel has affected my core. Read in the course of two hours at a local coffee shop, I found myself deeply upset, and I don’t think I ate meat for weeks.

7. Drugs are Nice: A Post-Punk Memoir
Lisa Crystal Carver’s memoir of the 1980s and 1990s underground is missing the one thing you’d think it would have: drugs, at least from her. What it does have is lots of music references, the start of ‘zine culture, alleged Nazi’s and the story of one woman’s pain and strength to get through it.

6. Into the Wild
I found my copy of Into the Wild on the street and had I not, I probably never would have read it. Part of me envy’s Chris McCandless’ adventure, and the interviews with everyone he touched during his travels is inspiring. Later made into a movie starring the amazing Emile Hirsch, this story is wonderful and heartbreaking.

5. Middlesex
Jeffrey Eugenides ode to a hermaphrodite is his first, but not only appearance on my list. Spanning from Greek grandparents, to Grosse Pointe, Michigan, this novel is truly an amazing read.

4. Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs
Chuck Klosterman’s best selling essay collection makes it pretty high on my list. It is perfect for anyone in their 20s, it deals with topics relevant to growing up in the late 80s and early 90s, and it made me want to rewatch My So-Called Life.

3. The Fountainhead
Ayn Rand’s objectivism is not a popular topic among most people, and while I wouldn’t consider myself an objectivist, I will say this. I want to be Dominique Francon. Her powerful female role is admirable and inspiring, if only one day I can be that much of a ball buster.

2. American Psycho
Bret Easton Ellis tribute to New York and all it’s Patrick Bateman’s in the late 1980s. This was the last B.E.E. book for me to read, the most difficult, and my favorite. I had to speed through this one because I began thinking like Patrick Bateman and my inner monologues kept me up at night.

1. The Virgin Suicides
Jeffrey Eugenides first novel that was later adapted into a feature film by Sophia Coppola. Not only is it my favorite read of 2009, but it’s quite possibly my favorite read ever. Written with grace and eloquence, The Virgin Suicides hits a note that anyone who has ever faced adolescence can relate to.

Top 10 Websites of 2009

As the year comes to a close, I'm going to be creating a series of Top 10 Lists, this being a blog, I felt as though this would be the most appropriate one to start with.

Whether it was sitting in front of a computer at an internship, or having downtime at home, I am on the internet a lot. Here is a quick list of my favorite and most frequently visited websites of 2009:

10. Sea of Shoes- I am a newbie to Jane Aldrige’s ode to footwear. Although I can never afford most of the pieces she covets, I love the photography, the stories, and Jane’s unique style. I can only imagine what kind of life this socialite leads!

9. A Haute Mess- Another great fashion website, run by Vancouver’s Niki Blasina. Niki’s style, DIY projects, and PR stories are great. I expect to see big things from this fashionista in 2010.

8. The Superficial- I try not to completely surround myself with celebrity culture, but this is one site I just can’t get enough of. It’s probably because it doesn’t take it self or celebrities seriously, has more fun posting naked pictures, and the writers aren’t whoring themselves out like some other celebrity gossip gurus *ahem, you know who you are.

7. Wikipedia- While not always the most reliable, Wikipedia is great for learning random information. Wikipedia is also quite possibly the best website to pull up in a bar when you are trying to prove your friends wrong on a random piece of trivia.

6. IMDB- Yes, I love the fact that you can learn who played what character or who directed a specific film via IMDB. However, due to my knowledge bank of random facts, I rarely need IMDB for that. I do however, love to use IMDB to learn where a movie was filmed, or to read the fun little trivia facts about what happened behind the scenes.

5. ESPN- I have always loved sports, my high-school cheerleading pictures will attest to that. But this year, working at a sports bar, sports began to consume my life. I use this site as an obvious way to check scores for the games I missed, and to learn about the latest pro scandal (Tiger? Ochocinco? Etc.)

4. Craigslist- This is sort ofhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif a duh. Whether or not it’s using Craigslist to find a job, new apartment, talent gig, or just perusing the “Missed Connections” section, I’ve spent more time here then anywhere else.

3. Fashionista- By far my favorite of all the fashion blogs. Not only do you get the most up-to-date fashion news, but this blog also posts information on all the best sample sales in New York, as well as any internships they get information about. (Thanks Fashionista, I have an interview on Monday!)

2. eBay- I am always on the hunt for original pieces, and the better deal I can find, the happier I am. I use this site to scour the globe for amazing dresses, vintage accessories, and unique gifts. It’s a given.

1. Twitter- Okay, I am officially Twitter obsessed. Whether it’s the ability to obnoxiously post private conversations back and forth, following celebrities, or hey, advertising my blog, this site has me hooked.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

The Most Un-PC Thing I Do

I am usually known for being very PC. I try not to generalize or stereotype groups of people, I try to live by John Stuart Mill's standards of Liberty, and I don't eat a lot of meat. It's usually this last clause that I get hung up on.

I love animals. I often thing that the farming industry mistreats their livestock and I try to buy as knowledgeable of that as possible. I was often referred to as the "Food Nazi" while living at home after I posted a list of over-farmed fish on the fridge. I am a valiant animal loving hippie who loves to spread the gospel around.

Sort of.

You see, underneath this hippie exterior lies a total hypocrite. Regardless of my animal and food politics there is one thing I do that cannot be made up for. I wear fur.

Hold onto your cans of red paint. I, of course, have rules by which I wear fur. It has to be used, it has to be vintage (the longer it's been dead, the better I sleep at night), and it doesn't have to be real. I know that these rules will never make up for my fur loving, animal killing self, and one day I may look back and be disgusted by my choices. But that day, is not today. No, today was the first day I decided to sport my newest fur addition:


BEHOLD: THE PATCHWORK RABBIT JACKET


A year ago, I would have thought this jacket tacky, and not for me. However, ever since I watched Wait Until Dark starring Audrey Hepburn, I have been obsessed with getting a patchwork fur. At the beginning of the movie, which takes place in New York in 1967, a minor character is spotted wearing a trench length patchwork fur. While I'm too short to wear a trench length anything, I think this shorter version will suffice.


A better view of the length




And a close up of all the different colors.

My roommate and I have established that it's probably rabbit (though I was secretly hoping it was fake actually). If only my PETA member mom could see me now...